The four weekend run of Sordid Lives at Gallery Theater ended last Saturday. I had an amazing experience being part of a truly talented cast, and I’m so glad I got up the gumption to audition and participate!

I hadn’t done any plays since college, and the thought was a bit scary. But like I’ve discovered about most things in life, thinking about and anticipating something is often more difficult than actually doing it! I loved every minute of being in the cast, from the rehearsals, to doing my hair and makeup with my castmates in the dressing room, to the actual performances, and to talking with friends and strangers after each show, and hearing how much it touched them. I’m grateful to have become part of the Gallery Theater family, and I’m looking forward to future shows!

Now, I’m getting back to being Val instead of Bitsy. I’ve written a few new songs that I’ll debut at upcoming shows, and I’m adding some new covers as well. Due to our upcoming move, I’m only booking a handful of shows over the next few months… you can check my schedule to see where and when I’m playing.

For Mother’s Day weekend, I’ll be back at the Oregon Garden for their “Digging in the Dirt” event… it looks like the weather will be beautiful, and I look forward to seeing some familiar faces and meeting new people!

I’m very excited to share this news… I’ll be playing the part of Bitsy Mae Harling in Gallery Theater‘s upcoming production of the play Sordid Lives!

It’s a very funny ensemble play with a terrific cast, and I’ll be singing and playing my guitar at the start of each act, along with appearing in Act 4. I’m thrilled to be a part of this production!

The show runs from April 13 – May 5, and tickets are available online. I hope to see lots of folks there! And when you do come, make sure to say hi afterwards at the cast meet and greet!

]]>News, and a teaser…http://valblaha.com/2018/03/news-and-a-teaser/
Wed, 07 Mar 2018 20:51:30 +0000http://valblaha.com/?p=1070Read More]]>
Halloo, all! It’s been quiet on here, although not so quiet around my farm. 2018 will bring some big personal changes, so I’ll share a bit with you here…

I’ve had the great fortune to live on a beautiful rural property for the past 15 years. It’s been both an inspiration and a lot of hard work. Sadly, our time here is coming to an end. For some personal reasons, we’ve made the decision to sell the property and move into town. I’ve made my peace with the idea of this change, and truthfully, I’m ready to go!

The down side of the move is that it’s taking up a lot of time and energy. So I made the decision to cut way back on performances this year. I still plan to do some summer shows (like Troon Tasting Room in Carlton on July 14!) But my primary plan is to get the move done and get settled in our new home, and take some time to write some new material, and then hopefully do some more recording in the fall or winter.

My duo (Luminous Heart) is also taking a hiatus for much of this year. My awesome duo partner Jamie also has a lot keeping her busy right now, so rather than booking a lot of shows, our plan is to do some more writing and arranging.

So, my gig calendar will less full in 2018 (although I am planning to book a handful of summer shows). But… for those of you in the McMinnville area, I’ll have a special announcement coming soon about something that I’ll be taking part in this spring (in April and May). Stay tuned, and I’ll post details when I can!

As always, thanks for supporting my music!

xoV

]]>Fall solo shows!http://valblaha.com/2017/10/fall-solo-shows/
Mon, 23 Oct 2017 16:36:32 +0000http://valblaha.com/?p=1063Read More]]>I’ve just updated my calendar with several new shows in November and December. I’m happy to announce that I’ll be back at the Oregon Garden for Christmas in the Garden (in the heated 21+ biergarten this time!) for at least 2 nights in December. I’ll also be back at Troon in Carlton on Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend for a solo show. And I have 2 more upcoming dates in downtown Hillsboro at the fabulous new D’Anu Wine Bar. So mark those calendars now!!

Fans of Luminous Heart may wonder why we don’t have any upcoming duo shows on the calendar. Jamie and I recently returned from an amazing weekend at the FAR-West music conference, where we performed, learned, listened, and talked with so many wonderful musicians, promoters, teachers, etc. We had already planned to take the next few months off from shows so that we can work on writing new material, and hopefully getting into the studio to record some songs! And the conference was very inspiring, so we are even more excited for what lies ahead for us. So stay tuned…